black dog syndrome

[SneakyPete]

My house it the PERFECT example of black dog hair. When I empty the vacuum canister there is so much black hair, it's like I am throwing out another dog!!!!

My husband swears I'm trying to collect a complete set of dogs of varying sizes and colors. We just need a yellow dog, a gray dog and a toy dog to complete our set! We've already got a an extra large brown dog, a small white dog, a large red dog, and a medium black dog. When you whir the fur together in the vacuum canister, it looks gray.

When I volunteered at an animal control shelter, the only time I saw black dogs in particular being passed over was if we had a large number of them, and since black labs are very popular, there were many occasions when we had an overabundance.

Small dogs of any color (and of ANY tempermant) went long before large dogs of any color.

Large dogs and dogs of certain breeds were a difficult sell. You can't give a Chow away. (Oh, well apparently you can sometimes, since we have one.)

Dogs in the 5-10 month range are also difficult to place. People are generally either looking for a little puppy or an adult dog. The dogs in that age range are neither.

Large litters were bad too simply because you had a large number of a single breed/size when the chances of 10 people wanting that particular breed/size in a short period of time are slim. A few would find homes and the others would languish, growing up in the shelter (like our dog #4 who grew up in the shelter without ever having anyone interested in her -- and she's a GEM!)

It sounds as if your Katie had several things against her -- black dog, middling age (neither puppy nor adult), overabundant breed, and large breed. Very sad. Very frustrating. Glad she "won the lottery" and found you!

 

[Teresa Cline]

My husband swears I'm trying to collect a complete set of dogs of varying sizes and colors. We just need a yellow dog, a gray dog and a toy dog to complete our set! We've already got a an extra large brown dog, a small white dog, a large red dog, and a medium black dog. When you whir the fur together in the vacuum canister, it looks gray.

When I volunteered at an animal control shelter, the only time I saw black dogs in particular being passed over was if we had a large number of them, and since black labs are very popular, there were many occasions when we had an overabundance.

Small dogs of any color (and of ANY tempermant) went long before large dogs of any color.

Large dogs and dogs of certain breeds were a difficult sell. You can't give a Chow away. (Oh, well apparently you can sometimes, since we have one.)

Dogs in the 5-10 month range are also difficult to place. People are generally either looking for a little puppy or an adult dog. The dogs in that age range are neither.

Large litters were bad too simply because you had a large number of a single breed/size when the chances of 10 people wanting that particular breed/size in a short period of time are slim. A few would find homes and the others would languish, growing up in the shelter (like our dog #4 who grew up in the shelter without ever having anyone interested in her -- and she's a GEM!)

It sounds as if your Katie had several things against her -- black dog, middling age (neither puppy nor adult), overabundant breed, and large breed. Very sad. Very frustrating. Glad she "won the lottery" and found you!

SneakyPete sounds like you have done some time in an animal shelter.

you are right about Katy being a Lotto winner...my dogs are spoiled rotten!

 

[Teresa Cline]

My three should be nakked by now, according to the amount of black hair I vacuum up every day.

oh yeah,,,,I always think my vac gets so much use and abuse that Sears should hire me and my animals for a commercial to promote one tough vacuum.

 

[bluemtnrunner]

Even the pound, including Alaqua from what I was told wouldn't take the black lab pup we adopted because they were full. If I'm going to have a dog that sheds I prefer the black fur. It doesn't show up on my black skirts when I have to go to the office the way that white fur would.
My sister has a black giant schnauzer and his face CANNOT be seen in photos, it is funny.

 

[Beach Runner]

We like poodles because they are so loving and smart and don't shed. We have had three chocolate miniature poodles -- never wanted white or buff because they get discoloration around the eyes, mouth, and other places. After having a Weim, we decided we wanted another larger dog, but not a Weim because we were still mourning our Winnie. So we sought out a black standard poodle. They are pricier than white ones, so I don't see them suffering from black dog syndrome.

However, what they do suffer from is melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Our Pepper had a toe amputated last summer due to melanoma. Apparently there are quite a few breeds of large black dogs that have are susceptible for getting skin cancer.

 

[wrobert]

Sorry guys but never heard of black dog syndrome. I asked a vet friend and he said it was news to him. But he has only being doing the vet thing for over thirty years. My daughter worked at a vet, never heard of it. I did not realize people considered color when looking for pets, never been an issue with me, but does have me wondering about the cultural thing after reading all of these posts.

 

[Teresa Cline]

Sorry guys but never heard of black dog syndrome. I asked a vet friend and he said it was news to him. But he has only being doing the vet thing for over thirty years. My daughter worked at a vet, never heard of it. I did not realize people considered color when looking for pets, never been an issue with me, but does have me wondering about the cultural thing after reading all of these posts.

if you Google it you will bring up information to explain.

 

[rolling dune]

Hi T. Cline...I was at Alaqua yesterday when you were there. Wish I had known who you were! Katy/Maddie is one pretty and very lucky girl. You have a great big heart. They gave her a bath right after you left. I am going up tomorow to see about fostering a sweet little girl that has had an unfortunate lot in life and needs some serious TLC. I walked dogs yesterday and can't get her out of my mind. I know Katy must be a very happy girl this weekend.

 

[Danny Burns]

The beautiful girl in my avatar (Scout) has been with me for 14 1/2 years. She is spoiled rotten and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love her with all my heart. She is the smartest, most intuitive dog that I have ever lived with...or even heard of. She understands most everything I tell her and does just what she is asked...no yelling or discipline necessary after her initial training as a puppy.

When she learned the word "beach" (her favorite place to go) we (my wife and I) started spelling it out. It took her about a week to figure out that we were spelling "beach" and she started to get excited when we spelled it. There is no way to hide it from her at this time. If we think beach and try to communicate it to each other, she knows it.

We use many hand signals to "speak" to her, but she also knows the difference between front yard and back yard, Jeep and car, and the names of all of her 15 toys. If you tell her to go and get the sheep to play and she wants to play with her lobster, she will go and grab the sheep (to show you that she knows what you mean), fling it back on the toy pile, and bring you the lobster.

As she is in her twilight years, we treasure every moment with our little adopted black/Chow/Labrador/ American girl and will miss her more than we can imagine when she is gone.

Anyone who thinks Chows, any black dog, or any large dog is trouble they should think again. There is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. If you want unconditional love, get a good dog, train it well, and have a lifetime of wonderful memories.

T.Cline, you may use this post in any way that may help you in adopting big, black dogs to people who will never regret doing so. Our little girl has been one of the greatest experiences we could have ever wanted out of life.

Danny Burns
Scout's Human

 

[seagrovegirl]

The beautiful girl in my avatar (Scout) has been with me for 14 1/2 years. She is spoiled rotten and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love her with all my heart. She is the smartest, most intuitive dog that I have ever lived with...or even heard of. She understands most everything I tell her and does just what she is asked...no yelling or discipline necessary after her initial training as a puppy.

When she learned the word "beach" (her favorite place to go) we (my wife and I) started spelling it out. It took her about a week to figure out that we were spelling "beach" and she started to get excited when we spelled it. There is no way to hide it from her at this time. If we think beach and try to communicate it to each other, she knows it.

We use many hand signals to "speak" to her, but she also knows the difference between front yard and back yard, Jeep and car, and the names of all of her 15 toys. If you tell her to go and get the sheep to play and she wants to play with her lobster, she will go and grab the sheep (to show you that she knows what you mean), fling it back on the toy pile, and bring you the lobster.

As she is in her twilight years, we treasure every moment with our little adopted black/Chow/Labrador/ American girl and will miss her more than we can imagine when she is gone.

Anyone who thinks Chows, any black dog, or any large dog is trouble they should think again. There is no such thing as a bad dog, just bad owners. If you want unconditional love, get a good dog, train it well, and have a lifetime of wonderful memories.

T.Cline, you may use this post in any way that may help you in adopting big, black dogs to people who will never regret doing so. Our little girl has been one of the greatest experiences we could have ever wanted out of life.

Danny Burns
Scout's Human

My brother had a lab/chow mix female named Chloe and she lived for 19 years. She was an amazing dog. She looks alot like the dog in your tar. Thank you for being a grayt, black dog parent.